Chapter 455
The moment Mr. Ashcroft finished speaking, the room erupted in a wave of applause.
Thorne glanced over at Charlene, joining in the clapping.
Vesta hesitated for half a second before offering a few polite, subdued claps, her expression unreadable.
Charlene didn’t spare Thorne a glance; instead, she looked briefly at Stewart, then rose from her seat and walked onto the stage.
As she stepped up, Mr. Ashcroft beamed and addressed the audience, “Ms. Ross here is not only one of PrimeStar’s finest engineers-she’s the mastermind behind the core technology at the heart of our partnership with Axiom Flux Technologies!”
A ripple of surprise swept through the room.
Vesta blinked, wondering if she’d heard that right.
PrimeStar was a powerhouse, both domestically and internationally. Every move the company made was closely watched by the industry.
It was no secret: anyone partnering with PrimeStar would be thrust into the spotlight overnight.
So when Mr. Ashcroft publicly announced their collaboration at such a major event, Vesta wasn’t particularly surprised. Nor did she find it odd that Axiom Flux Technologies would invite someone from PrimeStar to join him on stage, to explain the technical details of their work together.
But for him to invite Charlene instead of Stewart-
At first, Vesta had been taken aback when she heard Mr. Ashcroft call Charlene up, but remembering how well Stewart always treated Charlene, the surprise faded. It made sense; perhaps Stewart had simply asked her to stand in for him.
Yet she’d never imagined that Charlene was the key figure in this entire collaboration.
How could that be possible?
Even as the thought flashed through her mind, Mr. Ashcroft continued, “Ms. Ross, I’ll leave the technical presentation to you.”
“Thank you,” Charlene replied smoothly, taking the microphone and turning to face the audience. Her voice was calm and confident. “Good afternoon, everyone. I’m Charlene Ross, an engineer at PrimeStar. This collaboration between PrimeStar and Axiom Flux Technologies can be broken down into four main areas: engine chipsets, breakthroughs in engine AI, autonomous driving systems, and the application of advanced materials-“
She explained, delving into each domain, outlining the innovative strides their teams had made.
Everyone knew that true technological innovation required collaboration across disciplines and companies. No single person could do it all-or so it seemed.
But as Charlene spoke, it became clear she wasn’t just familiar with one narrow field. She demonstrated an impressive grasp of everything from self-driving vehicle systems to materials engineering, all the way to intelligent engine design.
It was as if she’d single-handedly bridged these diverse disciplines herself.
With ease, she explained how their breakthroughs had improved fuel efficiency for their autonomous vehicles, just how intelligent their self-driving systems had become, the level of safety they’d achieved, and the specific technologies-along with their breakthroughs that made it all possible. The audience, both technical experts and laypeople, listened in awe.
People weren’t just amazed at Charlene’s versatility; they were also imagining the immense potential value of any product born from this partnership between Axiom Flux Technologies and PrimeStar.
The engineers in the room, in particular, looked up at Charlene with the kind of reverence usually reserved for legends.
Vesta sat among them, still struggling to believe what she was hearing.
She knew Charlene had expertise in AI. But how could Charlene also possess such deep knowledge of engines, chipsets, advanced materials, and fuels?
Well-advanced materials, maybe. Charlene had demonstrated that before.
But engines and chips? Those weren’t things just anyone could master.
If they were, the industry back home wouldn’t have spent years struggling to catch up with foreign competition in chip technology.
In other words-
Charlene had no notes with her, no prepared speech. Yet she tossed out technical jargon and exact figures as if they were second nature, casually referencing case studies and crediting experts for inspiring her, always with a trace of humility.
The longer Vesta listened, the more her expression darkened.
She clenched her hands in her lap, a chill creeping over her skin.
And then, all at once, a thought struck her. She turned to look at Thorne, only now realizing what this all might mean.